The Isaac Resistant TV Stand
No piece of furniture could really be described as "Isaac proof". That is a hubris even I am not willing to embrace. That kid can take anything down. But what G-Daddy and I built over the course of a very slow process that took a year is a TV stand that is very Isaac resistant.
I wanted something that enclosed the speakers, managed all of the cables and wires, and had storage space underneath. Mom is a "cherry only" kind of girl so the wood choice was easy. We went to my local high end lumber yard, a place that caters to cabinetmakers and on the weekend entertains us amateur woodworkers. They have just about every species I could imagine, but all of the other furniture I have built has been cherry and Mom loves it, so I just went with it. I had to get some glass (safety glass Nanna) and some speaker grilles on line. We also got drawer hardware (though we only used it on the less critically dimensioned center drawer. For the side drawers we went old school making a system using waxed wooden rails.
I was really surprised at how nice the old fashioned method worked. They run very, very well. All of the drawers are, of course, dovetailed, because why make something yourself and take shortcuts?
The process was painstaking, in part because the piece was big and complex but more because having a little guy really steals your free time. Here is a timeline:
About 13 months ago we used a biscuit joiner to make the carcass. Here it is in glue up:
After that we attached the face frames, about 8 or 9 months ago:
Then after that it was time for doors and drawers, this process took about 5 months:
And part two of doors and drawers, about 3 months ago:
And then the stain and set up phase, which took about two weeks. Around New Years the project was completed and installed:
What makes it Isaac resistant you ask? Well, the speakers are completely enclosed, even the speaker cables are internal (working there way to the amp through a series of grommets). Only two cords go out: the power and the hook up to the TV. Additionally the stand is pretty tall making it impossible for Isaac to pull the TV over on himself (especially now that it is in the corner and he cannot access the cords in the back). The center doors are safety glass and use a strong spring latch, too strong for him to open on his own. The stand itself is pretty stout, I think you could stand on the top no problem. The feet were attached using the proprietary G-Daddy/Tony over engineering method of doing everything. We set up a test using the feet and identical hardware and the steel hardware broke before it pulled out of the wood. Safe to say the feet ain't going no where.
As you know, the day it went in Isaac used his fork to scratch up the speaker grilles but Dad used a trick to hide them. All in all it was a great project. It was one hell of a learning experience and it was awesome to do stuff with G-Daddy.
Don't you think we need a bigger TV though? After all I saved us a ton of cash building this thing myself.
I wanted something that enclosed the speakers, managed all of the cables and wires, and had storage space underneath. Mom is a "cherry only" kind of girl so the wood choice was easy. We went to my local high end lumber yard, a place that caters to cabinetmakers and on the weekend entertains us amateur woodworkers. They have just about every species I could imagine, but all of the other furniture I have built has been cherry and Mom loves it, so I just went with it. I had to get some glass (safety glass Nanna) and some speaker grilles on line. We also got drawer hardware (though we only used it on the less critically dimensioned center drawer. For the side drawers we went old school making a system using waxed wooden rails.
I was really surprised at how nice the old fashioned method worked. They run very, very well. All of the drawers are, of course, dovetailed, because why make something yourself and take shortcuts?
The process was painstaking, in part because the piece was big and complex but more because having a little guy really steals your free time. Here is a timeline:
About 13 months ago we used a biscuit joiner to make the carcass. Here it is in glue up:
After that we attached the face frames, about 8 or 9 months ago:
Then after that it was time for doors and drawers, this process took about 5 months:
And part two of doors and drawers, about 3 months ago:
And then the stain and set up phase, which took about two weeks. Around New Years the project was completed and installed:
What makes it Isaac resistant you ask? Well, the speakers are completely enclosed, even the speaker cables are internal (working there way to the amp through a series of grommets). Only two cords go out: the power and the hook up to the TV. Additionally the stand is pretty tall making it impossible for Isaac to pull the TV over on himself (especially now that it is in the corner and he cannot access the cords in the back). The center doors are safety glass and use a strong spring latch, too strong for him to open on his own. The stand itself is pretty stout, I think you could stand on the top no problem. The feet were attached using the proprietary G-Daddy/Tony over engineering method of doing everything. We set up a test using the feet and identical hardware and the steel hardware broke before it pulled out of the wood. Safe to say the feet ain't going no where.
As you know, the day it went in Isaac used his fork to scratch up the speaker grilles but Dad used a trick to hide them. All in all it was a great project. It was one hell of a learning experience and it was awesome to do stuff with G-Daddy.
Don't you think we need a bigger TV though? After all I saved us a ton of cash building this thing myself.